I'm gonna clear out my head I’m gonna get myself straight I know it’s never too late to make a brand new start….
Today is my birthday and as I turn the page on another year, I’ve been thinking about this song quite a bit—it’s call to push forward, to search within yourself for a renewed sense of purpose, to heed the words of Dylan Thomas and to not go gentle into that good night…
I’ve been making art and performing music for roughly 35 years. And while the new car smell has diminished and the excitement of fresh discovery has become more difficult to maintain as the mileage has increased, I continue to pull inspiration from those artists who fine-tuned their craft well into their later years, that rare breed who’ve grown old gracefully. Leonard Cohen. Nick Lowe. Tom Waits. It’s safe to say Paul Weller sits comfortably among them as well.
So in honor of my 53rd birthday today, here’s an acoustic at-home performance of Paul Weller’s Brand New Start. I gave it my best shot. I hope you dig it.
I make a point every 25 of June to remind myself that growing old is a privilege and to remember the future is not promised. 53 years in and I feel blessed to be here, still playing music, still making artwork, still searching. But not everyone I’ve known was as lucky as I am, so tonight, I’ll also raise a glass for loved ones who went before their time. Cheers.
Here’s to Brand New Starts. Onward and upward friends...
